A/N: I began this story several years ago by responding to a quiz (essentially a prompt) on The Attic (.net). Quiz 57 encouraged writers to do an A/U take on the Baldur's Gate story by bringing a character from Earth into Faerun where they would "physically partake in the adventures of the BG series, going through the game(s) as herself." The idea was to write a one-shot or even 2-3 part story. This one ended up being much longer. Thirty chapters later it was still unfinished. Then writer's block struck and poor Jen ended up stranded in Faerun until one day, about six months ago I rediscovered her, stranded on a flash drive on an empty desktop.

I decided to edit and finish the story which in the end nearly doubled from its original length – an attribute that makes it a "ficzilla" by some standards. But at least this time, Jen and company have completed their tale and are no longer isolated and alone!

Many thanks to my original betas Keira and Laufey at The Attic. And also many many thanks to Shenzi for betaing the edits and the new additions to this story. As a non-BG player, she provided many valuable insights and asked a lot of great questions that have resulted (hopefully!) in a story that is understandable and fun whether or not you've ever played the game.

And finally….Dragon Age was marketed as the spiritual successor to BG and as I went through the story I could see many of the precursors to some of our favorite DAO characters. You may as well.

Anyway…here 'tis. I do hope you'll read, enjoy and comment.

Bioware owns all.

Long Way Home

Chapter 1 – Strange New World

The early morning sun was bright and felt unseasonably warm. Jen and Beth were prepared for heat thanks to the morning's weather report, however as the temperature rose, they found that the hike which had sounded like such good fun in the middle of the week was rapidly becoming an exercise in endurance. Both women really did enjoy the outdoors and had hiked and backpacked frequently in all kinds of weather. Still, they knew heat – and the first hot spell of the season, in particular - wasn't something to ignore. Shoulda gone to the mall, thought Jen. It has air conditioning.

A large bee flew past Jen, its legs loaded with pollen. She stopped for a moment tilting her head slightly as she sucked on the mouthpiece of her Camelbak and watching as the bee landed in a patch of trumpet-like flowers, eventually disappearing into one of the long-throated blooms. Even the bee's found shade, she thought in disgust pulling off her cap to fan herself. She glanced towards Beth, "Jeez, can you believe this heat? And it's only friggin' May."

"Yeah," her friend agreed. "It is unusually hot." She pulled off her own cap, rumpling the hair beneath and fanning herself for a second before jamming it back onto her head. "You know, when we looked at the map this morning, it showed a river intersecting with this section of trail somewhere near the bottom of the hill. And once we get there we can take a break. Maybe even swim."

They continued along the trail which finally left the ridgeline and began sloping down towards the valley floor. Then as they came around a bend Jen finally spotted a glimpse of blue ribbon behind a large cluster of trees a short distance away. Whooping with delight she hurried off at a rapid pace, barely waiting for or even hearing Beth's grunt of acknowledgement.

As she drew closer she saw that a narrow path winding through the trees so she followed it, searching for the little bit of wilderness oasis she'd seen from her previous vantage point. The sound of rushing water told her she was nearing her destination however she was completely unprepared for what she found; an extensive waterway with a portion of the river actually flowing through a series of rocks above her and cascading over falls into a large pool before heading away along the hills at the base of the valley floor. Damn, this is a lot bigger than it looked like on the map! she thought gleefully.

She turned, looking for Beth only to realize that her friend was still quite a ways behind her. This was a fairly normal occurrence for Beth tended to walk much more slowly than Jen even at the best of times. Heading back to where the trees met the trail, she spotted Beth a short distance away and waved to encourage her before leaning against the nearest trunk, wriggling her shoulders as she settled herself comfortably on the ground and squeezing her pack's bite valve to spray water onto her hot face. She was feeling considerably better by the time Beth arrived and settled down next to her grinning companionably and saying, "Energizer Bunny!"

Jen grinned back, "Slowpoke! I'm cool and ready to move on again!"

"Huh!" replied Beth. "I'm not moving; at least not for awhile. And when I do move, I'm going to swim. If you've got so much energy, why don't you amuse yourself by poking around this rock? Explore, go look for arrowheads or interesting rocks or something. Just let me sit here and cool off!" She waved her hands at Jen to shoo her away.

Jen shook her head but obediently rose to her feet and headed towards the waterfall, looking for something – anything – with which to entertain herself until Beth was ready to move on. The falls were a thin, almost sheer curtain of water flowing over and somehow away from the rock face. She peered at it curiously, finally stepping into the stream and wading toward it. Looking up she saw that the stream went over a large overhang leaving a space between the rock face and the running water. Just like in Hawaii. She clambered up the rocks, ducking behind the falls. The damp spray soaked the front of her shirt and she shivered as a draft of cool air hit her skin. It seemed to be coming from an opening directly in front of her. She peered into the hole, but it was too dark to see anything so she made her way back to the riverbank, calling, "Hey Beth! Come here! I think I've found the entrance to a cave of some sort!"

Beth climbed to her feet, grabbing both their packs before making her way to Jen. "What? Where?"

"Behind the water," Jen said, taking the proffered pack and slinging it over her shoulders.

They clambered down to the rocks, making their way behind the falls. Jen pointed towards the opening but Beth, ever the practical one, shook her head. "It's a hole and I doubt we can see much without light. Don't you have an emergency flashlight in your pack?" Jen reached an arm to the pack behind her, scrabbling vainly for a minute at the zipper on its front pocket. After a minute Beth reached out to help, finding the light and handing it to Jen before joining her in peering at the fissure.

Jen's flashlight exposed a narrow passage in the rock that opened up into vast blackness. She stooped, preparing to step inside only to be pulled back by Beth. "Wait! Be sensible, Jen. I don't think this is a good idea. I mean, it might not be safe. The air could be bad or we could be climbing into a bear cave or a coyote den!"

"Under a waterfall? Don't be ridiculous!" Jen waved the light around into the empty darkness in front of her. She bent her head, squeezing herself through the gap and looked back, still in a semi-crouched position. "See? I'm still here." Next she drew in a deep breath of air and then gasped, clawing and clutching her throat, staggering theatrically for a moment before falling into a fit of laughter at Beth's horrified expression. "No really. The air seems fine and I doubt any kind of animal's gonna come out. Besides, where's your sense of adventure?" She pointed her light first towards the ceiling to ascertain its height and then into the blackness in front of her, straightening up to her full height. "Hmmm… this seems ok. C'mon."

Beth rolled her eyes, pulling out her own flashlight before cautiously following Jen through the opening and into a large cavern. Stalactiteshung from the high ceiling like jagged teeth and water dripped onto the uneven floor. Although she could appreciate rock formation's beauty, Jen was not a geologist and saw little else at first to catch her interest. The damp darkness seemed to swallow the light, making it difficult to see. She moved forward slowly, only to trip as her foot caught on a rock sticking up out of the floor. She staggered for a moment, her flashlight waving wildly in her hand and as she regained her balance she saw something glinting on a protrusion just to her left. The glint materialized into a length of chain, snagged on the stub of rock. She reached for it and found it was attached to a dull green stone about the size of a silver dollar. The stone was covered by a light film of dirt so she rubbed her thumb over its uneven surface to clean it, revealing a regular pattern of lines carved into its surface.

"Whoa, would you look at this!" she exclaimed. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"

Beth looked over her shoulder adding the light from her own flashlight to Jen's as she peered at the pendant in Jen's hand. "No," she said. "But it almost looks like some sort of carving. How odd. How do you think it got in here? Do you think it's real?"

"Real as in valuable gem? Or real as in a real rock? I dunno exactly." Jen peered at the stone, rubbing it again, this time with her sleeve and finally tapping it gently on the rock floor. "It seems real enough. I haven't a clue how it could have been dropped here though. The area's supposed to be riddled with caves although I don't remember this one being marked on the map at all. I supposed someone – another hiker perhaps – could've dropped it although it seems like a pretty odd thing for someone to wear trekking. Think I'll go outside and take a look at it in the sunlight – it's hard to see well in here." She headed back to the cave entrance and stepped outside, blinking as her eyes adjusted and then noticed that the stone appeared to be gleaming. Muttering to herself, she rubbed it against her shirt again, startling as suddenly it flashed, taking on warmth and becoming hot in her hand. "Dammit!" she yelped, her voice rising in an atonal screech. She dropped the stone involuntarily but the chain caught on her fingers and dangled there. Looking down she saw the stone had begun to shine brightly with pulsing golden brown threads appearing on its surface and as she looked at it, she realized that the air surrounding her had become hazy. As she stepped forward still peering at the rock in her hand, she felt a slight resistance and then something seemed to snap, like a door closing behind her.

"Beth!" she yelled. "Hey, Beth, c'mere and look at this!" There was no answer and she whirled around, moving back towards the cliff face which suddenly seemed to have become quite solid. Dazed, she put out her hands, feeling the stone carefully at first and then more frantically as she ran them over the surface looking for the cave entrance. It wasn't there. Her heart began to pound and she rubbed at her eyes hoping to clear her vision but it didn't help. No cave entrance appeared before either her eyes or under her searching hands.

"Beth!" she yelled. "Beth, where are you?" There was still no answer. After several minutes of frantic calling and searching she gave up, making her way to the creek bank where she sat for a few minutes, head in hands staring into the water. What could have happened? Finally she realized that the trees reflected in the water looked different from the ones she knew had been on the creek bank before and an icy chill ran down her spine as she looked around, realizing that wherever she was, it wasn't the Blackridge Wilderness. Instead of grassy slopes and oaks, the river was now surrounded by a mixture of tall broad-leafed trees and conifers and the ground was covered with a spongy duff. I'm not sure where this place is, she thought, but one thing's for certain – Dorothy's not in Kansas anymore!

The travelers moved slowly through the forest. It had been a long day of walking and Athkatla was still a long ways off. Tristan was tired and really would have preferred to have called a halt some time ago, but her companions had protested, urging her to continue on. Tristan looked around to see how the rest of the party was faring , noticing that most were finally beginning to tired as they moved slowly through the trees, hampered by heavy armor and packs. She hated trying to move a war party on foot, wishing as she had several times over the past few weeks, that she were wealthy enough to hire horses for such ventures. If wishes were horses then beggars would ride. Suddenly she decided she'd had enough. "We need to find a place to camp," she said firmly.

"It's too early to stop and we're still miles away from the closest inn. I really don't want to spend another night in the woods," said Nalia as she ducked under a low hanging branch, slapping an errant strand of hair out of her eyes, with an irritable sigh.

"Well if the only place you'll sleep is in an inn, we'll be walking all night," replied Tristan. She managed to keep her tone reasonable although she was becoming annoyed. She'd known that her client was a pampered young woman when she'd agreed to help her, but the even the knowledge that Nalia was paying for Tristan's help didn't do much to lessen the irritation of dealing with her when conditions were less than favorable. They had been traveling for several days on a route that was generally well traveled. Even so, there were few inns and a lot of bandits, which only served the make the journey more difficult. She glanced over her shoulder towards the rest of the group.

The party's two knights looked back at her. "I'd rather keep going as well," the younger one said. "Even if I don't need the comforts of an inn, there's just something about these woods…as if we're being watched. Do you feel it Keldorn?" The older man walking beside him nodded in agreement but said nothing.

Just as he finished speaking a gust of wind blew through the trees and they heard a loud crack as if something had hit a tree. "What's that?" exclaimed Tristan.

"Summer storm coming up most likely," replied Nalia. She had lived in the area all her young life and knew this to be the usual result of a day as hot and muggy as this one.

Tristan sighed irritably. "Oh that's just great. Well, Nalia, if a storm is really coming up, I think we're going to have to stop soon, inn or no inn. We won't be able to outrun it, but we can pick up the pace and try to find somewhere to shelter."

After the first shock of being alone, Jen sat down to think. What could have happened? One minute I'm in a cave with Beth and the next, I'm somewhere completely different. She remembered the necklace and the odd feeling she'd had that the stone was growing warm and looked down at it, studying it carefully. The necklace seemed normal now – no glowing lines, no warmth. For a moment, she wondered if she had hit her head. Sure, maybe that's it. I'm unconscious and dreaming all of this. As a test, she pinched herself hard then yelped in pain. Damn! Not unconscious after all.

She looked around, taking stock of her surroundings. Although she'd previously been in a wilderness area, she'd been able to see suburbia in the distance. Now there was nothing. There were no houses, no people, only trees, wind and possibly – given the sounds she was hearing – wild animals. She pulled out her Etrex to get her bearings, hoping it would help her retrace her steps and mentally chastising herself for leaving her cell phone at home. Beth had laughed at her for bringing the GPS, but she loved gadgets and this was her latest toy. The Etrex's internal computer began searching but for some reason nothing came up on the GPS's screen, not even her previous waypoints or path.

Wind tugged at her cap and looking around she saw clouds scuttling overhead; moving in as if to rain. I'll need to find some shelter – and figure out where there's a town if I'm going to get through this. I sure hope I can find a phone. She had planned to be gone on day trip so her light pack carried only a few basic necessities; flashlight, waterproof matches, light jacket, first aid kit, water bottle and a day's worth of food. She looked around thoughtfully. Probably be smartest to follow the creek. People often built homes near water.

She stood, noticing her hands were trembling as she picked up her pack and thought I'm scared; really truly scared. She usually enjoyed the unknown but her awareness that this time something was different and very wrong, made her stomach roil with anxious tension. I don't know what happened or where I am. Breathing slowly and deeply to calm herself, she shoved the necklace into her pocket and began climbing over vines and fallen logs as she moved downstream accompanied by only the twittering of birds and the light scuttle of lizards and small animals. The silence was unnerving and letting her know that she was not only well and truly lost but very much alone. I've certainly been alone in the woods before, what's wrong with me? Panicking won't help. She continued to walk and listen but saw and heard nothing out of the ordinary. Then, just as she was beginning to feel some assurance of safety, she heard a series of loud crashing noises which effectively reactivated her fears. It sounded as though a series of large – and rather clumsy - creatures were moving through the underbrush. She began to move cautiously, placing her feet as lightly as possible and remaining alert in case the "creatures" proved to be close and dangerous. Even as she went on high alert she found her mind resorting to whimsy as she tried to puzzle out what might be making such a racket. Lions and tigers and bears, oh boy! This is an adventure!

She caught up with the "creatures" a short time later – not animals but a small group of people. The leader of the group – or at least the one walking in front – was a tall, dark-haired woman accompanied two men dressed what appeared to be heavy plate mail, a young woman and a couple whose graceful movements and strangely pointed ears marked them somehow even at first glance as alien. All were carrying heavy packs and bearing an array of such curious armaments that she wondered if she had somehow stumbled across a group from the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).

The travelers had not seen her but instead were talking among themselves as they strode through the forest. Jen listened carefully, surprised to find that she could understand at least parts of the conversation although the speakers did seem to have odd and extremely heavy accents. She began to feel a fluttering of hope that, whoever these people, they might be willing to help her.

Still, caution was in order. Better someone than no one but it's still probably best to watch first. She slowed, maintaining a discrete distance as she crept through the trees behind them before eventually deciding she didn't need to stay too far back since the party was making enough noise to be followed by even the most amateur tracker. Later, she realized this was the reason she hadn't noticed a second group until it was almost too late.

Tristan and her warparty hurried forward, intent on finding a sheltered spot to camp. Suddenly she heard Keldorn's deep voice behind her. "Hold! We're not alone!"

Tristan looked around carefully. She could see nothing and she also found it hard to hear over the rising wind. It is definitely going to be quite a storm. "Keldorn! I can't see anything. What are you looking at?" she asked in a loud whisper. The old knight moved next to her, motioning her to be quiet as he continued to stare at something in the distance.

He said quietly, "I think there's a man over in the clearing. See him? Behind the tree?"

Tristan looked in the direction that he was pointing, finally spotting the man. What little of him was in sight appeared to be dressed in rough leather; common clothing for both hunters as well as those in much less respectable occupations. She sighed in exasperation. "Gods, not more bandits! Let's keep to the trees and see if we can get past them." They started forward again, now moving more cautiously, but finally she stopped, shaking her head as she looked at the two knights. "We'll never make it with you and Anomen crashing around. I wish you two could see fit to pack that plate mail during cross-country trips and wear something less….less noisy!" She'd left her own plate in Athkatla and was currently wearing armor made of hardened and studded leather.

Anomen grinned at her. "Not all of us were intended to be bards….or thieves," he added softly, his glance going to their other companions, his gaze resting first on the blue haired tiefling1 and then the young female mage. Both ignored Anomen's jibe for once, instead looking around for a place to discard their packs in preparation for the inevitable battle just as the bandits came running through the woods towards them.

At first, Jen felt sure she really was in the middle of an SCA enactment but as the sounds of battle along with the screams of wounded and dying men grew louder she realized the two groups were truly fighting. Having no weapons of her own, she hid herself behind a tall tree as quickly as possible; peeking out occasionally to make sure she remained far enough away. Besides swords and other outdated weapons, Jen noticed one of the women throwing red balls of light which seemed to simply blossom in her hands. That seems like an odd type of grenade. They just seem to – appear. Where's she getting them from?

The battle went on and drew closer. Jen looked around, spotting a fallen tree. Vines grew over the stubs of limbs forming a dense curtain. She made her way behind it, and squatted down, peering through gaps in the vines as she waited for the battle to end. Although she couldn't see clearly from her hiding place, it wasn't long before the sounds of battle ceased. Peering through the screening plans, she could see the fighting had ceased leaving several bodies on the ground although none seemed to be from the group she'd been following. As Jen continued to watch, the party fell busily to work stripping the dead of their earthly goods. She stayed behind her log, peeking out occasionally and hoping to remain undiscovered. By the time the party was finished and had begun stacking the bodies together in preparation for burning or burial – she wasn't sure which – her legs had begun to cramp from being stuck in a squatting position. She tried to remain still and avoid making noise. However, something must have given her away for suddenly the blue-haired male said something and pointed in her direction before turning and running towards her. Jen scrambled backwards, tripping over branches and vines but even wearing armor, the man moved more quickly than she did. He drew close, sword raised and Jen ripped off her pack, holding it in her hands as a shield against the inevitable blow. He skidded to a stop as he reached her and they stared at each other for a frozen moment. Then the man sheathed his weapon, reaching out to grab her arm – his movements so rapid, they didn't register until she found herself being propelled forward towards the main group.

"Who are you and where did you come from? Why are you following us?" asked the dark-haired woman. Her voice carried a note of command and from her stance it was clear she was used to being obeyed.

"My name is J-Jen - Jenessa Griffith." Jen heard herself stammer. She swallowed, and then took a breath. "I was following you because I hoped you'd lead me to civilization. I-I'm not really sure where I am right now. I know I started out this morning in Blackridge Wilderness, but this looks nothing like it. Right now I don't know where I am or what happened. I've been following the creek hoping to find a town or at least a house with a phone."

The woman stared at Jen, her gaze cold. "We're traveling back to Athkatla." At Jen's puzzled look she added, "That's the closest city. However out here in the woods, there's no one around but us and these fine fellows." She gestured at the pile of bodies nearby. She stepped closer, examining Jen carefully. "My question is what are you doing here? As to what you're looking for – I don't know what you mean by 'fone.' Is it some kind of weapon?" She reached for Jen, whirling her around and up against a tree, patting her down with brisk efficiency. Jen wanted to jerk away or at least to struggle but forced herself remained still throughout, knowing she wouldn't survive a fight under the circumstances. After a moment the woman stepped back. "I'm sorry about that but given what's just happened, we can't be too careful. You appear to be unarmed although no one in their right mind would wander in these hills without protection. But then again, maybe you have protections I can't see. Perhaps you're a mage?"

"A – mage?" Jen grinned helplessly. She was now sure she'd come across a group of lunatics and a sudden vision of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men – or at least of the Men in Tights version - popped into her head as she eyed the woman in front of her. Aloud she said, "I don't know what you're talking about. I've never met a mage."

"Well," replied the woman, "then let me introduce you to my friend here." She pointed to the young human female. "This is Nalia de Arnise – Mage, Noblewoman, Journeyman Thief. Didn't you see her casting spells earlier?"

"You're a mage?" Jen looked at the one called Nalia. She began to feel a little lightheaded. Armor. Mages. Spells. It was all a Bit Too Much.

"Yes," the young woman replied. "Well, I'm learning anyway."

"Ah. Well alright then." Jen turned back to the leader. "Look, I've told you who I am, so why don't you tell me who you are? And where is this Athkatla located? Do you have a map I could look at? I'm really not sure where I am right now."

"Slowly now. One thing at a time," replied the woman. "You seem to be genuinely lost and certainly no threat. My name is Tristan." She waved her hand towards the armored men. "Keldorn and Anomen, a knight and a squire from the Order of the Radiant Heart." Gesturing towards the man with blue hair and woman with oddly pointed ears she added, "This is Haer' Dalis. Jaheira is next to him and you've just met Nalia." She looked at Jen's face, continuing to study her. "You know, I'm starting to think this conversation is going to take awhile. You're asking questions that mean little to us and I think our answers aren't making much sense to you. We were about to stop for the night. Why don't you share our campfire and we'll talk further?"

"Yes," said Jen. "I think I'd like that."

Endnote:

1. Originally, tieflings were humans whose ancestry included a fiend of some sort – demons, devils, evil deities etc. However, currently (and as used in Baldur's Gate 2), tieflings can come from other backgrounds, most notably elven-fiend combinations. It is important to note that the fiendish blood is fairly far back in the tiefling's family tree. See Wikipedia: wiki/Tiefling